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Hosted by: The American Educational Research Association AERA 83rd Annual Meeting
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Speaker Biography:
Dr. Richard J. Davidson, who holds a PhD from Harvard University, is the William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Director of the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior, and Director of the Wisconsin Center for Affective Science. Dr. Davidson is internationally renowned for his research on the neural substrates of emotion and emotional disorders, including depression and anxiety, in adults and young children. Among his professional activities, he has led Library of Congress and National Institute of Mental Health projects relating to the brain and emotions. Dr. Davidson has published more than 100 articles, chapters, and reviews, edited eight books, and received numerous awards for his research, including the American Psychological Association's most prestigious Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award for lifetime achievement.
Presentation Summary:
In his address, entitled "Emotion, Plasticity, and the Human Brain: An Overview of Modern Brain Research and Its Implications for Education," Dr. Davidson presented an overview of recent research on the neural substrates of emotion in the human brain. He emphasized findings from brain imaging studies suggesting that the circuitry underlying emotion and cognition are not separable, as he provided examples of experience-induced changes in brain function and structure.
Dr. Davidson's topic highlights the Decade of Behavior themes of "education" and "health." By shedding light on the role of emotion in learning, his research has implications for cognitive and social learning, education (learning and instruction), and counseling and human development.